JILA Fellow and NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) Physicist and University of Colorado Boulder Physics professor Adam Kaufman and his team have ventured into the minuscule realms of atoms and electrons. Their research involves creating an advanced optical atomic clock using a lattice of strontium atoms, enhanced by quantum entanglement—a phenomenon that binds the fate of particles together. This ambitious project could revolutionize timekeeping, potentially surpassing the "standard quantum limit" of precision.
In collaboration with JILA and NIST Fellow Jun Ye, the team highlighted their findings in Nature, demonstrating how their clock, operating under certain conditions, could exceed conventional accuracy benchmarks. Their work advances timekeeping and opens doors to new quantum technologies, such as precise environmental sensors.
These clocks measure time with exceptional accuracy by cooling and trapping atoms and using lasers to induce energy transitions. However, the inherent unpredictability of atomic behavior imposes limitations. Quantum entanglement offers a solution, allowing entangled atoms to function more predictably as a collective.
Read the full story at CU Boulder Today written by Dan Strain.
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